Stranger Things Have Happened

Review

Didn’t the sheriff from Stranger Things kind of look like Dane Cook?
That was the brainstorm that lead Brayden Scobie and Tessa Simpson to come up with Stranger Things Have Happened, a whacky often confusing play about two writers hired to create a hit Netflix show for Dane Cook himself. The show they come up with, of course, happens to be the plot of Stranger Things, and they want Dane to play the monster, all while interweaving jokes about how he would be a good sheriff.
Even if audiences going in have watched the Netflix series, the play is often a confusing mess of arguing, vague references, and peculiar plot points (like how the Duffer brothers stole their idea at a house party and got one of the writers to endlessly pay for their pizza).
However, the dialogue is natural, sharp, and snappy with engaging performances from both Simpson and Scobie. When Ricardo Espinoza finally makes his debut as Dane, his performance is equally as hilarious and whacky as his counterparts. The whole play is worth watching to see Dane and the two writers duking it out in a bizarre climax that no one saw coming.
Reviewed by Michelle Guthrie.

EdmontonFringe.ca

One Review

This show deserves more people in the audience. Don’t be scared by the venue not being on the main strip, it’s only two blocks away. They say that comedies work better with the gigantic crowd, but it was a very small crowd the day that I saw it and I laughed out loud many times. the chemistry between the two lead actors is phenomenal